This city's clever minimalist logo redesign has a hidden meaning
by https://www.creativebloq.com/author/joseph-foley · Creative Bloq
Share this article
0
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Newsletter
Subscribe to our newsletter
Rebranding a city council is a daunting task that almost always ends in controversy, whether it's Bloomington or Visalia. Galway City Council in Ireland is the latest authority to risk the wrath of its populace with a major rebranding, and I have to say I think the result is actually very strong.
The new Galway logo streamlines history and heritage into a strikingly distinct and immediately recognisable bilingual mark. It really does a lot for a minimalist abstract 'G'.
Galway City Council says its new logo design was inspired by the city's civic heritage, maritime history and bilingual character.
Latest Videos FromCreative Bloq
Watch full video here:
The tail of the maroon lower-case 'g' was inspired by the shape of the hull of the ship that features in the city's Coat of Arms. The upper bowl draws on the tradition of seanchló, the historic Irish script, and the circular fáinne, a small lapel pin worn to show a person's ability to speak Irish, reflecting Galway's preservation of the language.
It also has a clever second meaning, with the bowl of the G representing the city's people and the detached tail or hull representing the council supporting and serving them. It's a nice way to communicate what the council is supposed to be there for.
You may like
This city's controversial logo redesign has hit a bum note
Guinness's new billboard ads are lovely (literally)
This beautiful logo shows there's plenty of life in minimalist design yet
There has been some controversy around the Galway rebrand. Just days before the launch of the new logo, there had been reports that the process was being put on hold amid public calls to keep the previous design (see above).
The previous iconic 'Galway G’ was created by local designer Jimmy Conneely for the city’s quincentennial celebrations way back in 1984. The design used a less abstract G with the same maroon colour and a white line that formed an arrow leading to a galleon in the top right-hand corner. This represents the Galway docks that connected the western Irish city to the world.
Get the Creative Bloq Newsletter
Sign up to Creative Bloq's daily newsletter, which brings you the latest news and inspiration from the worlds of art, design and technology.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors
“At a time when our culture is being eroded, we are getting rid of a local man’s design,” a publican told the Irish Independent .
I can understand the attachment to the old design, but it was designed before the development of things like the internet and digital apps. I don't agree that logos necessarily need to be as minimalist as possible, but the classic G design would be difficult to use in its entirety in many applications, particularly its shield element.
The new Galway G seems to do its job very well. It's clean and modern, and easily adaptable to a multitude of uses, including in combination with art assets for striking variations that depict iconic city scenes.
The council says it needed to embark on the rebranding after a review found that the public didn't always recognise the full range of services it delivered. The new visual identity is intended to help create a stronger and more consistent connection across those various services.